Monday, February 16, 2009

It seems only fitting that after my motorbike trip I should take my Vietnamese motorbike driving test. Or should it have been the other way around?

The other day I went to the Hanoi DMV for my official motorbike driving test. I felt like I was seventeen all over again. Huyen came with me to serve as my translator/cinematographer. The test included going around a figure eight, driving in a straight line, driving in a zig zag and then driving over bumps.

While waiting for my turn to go I saw two Vietnamese girls fail their test. I started to get a little nervous when they called Huyen's name over the loud speaker. Huyen ran out to the course and then quickly waved me over. I grabbed a helmet which:

a) everyone shared (there's no lice in 'Nam, right?)

b) had no strap to hold it on in case I/someone fell off the bike.

I passed the test with a score of 135. Apparently I lost fifteen points because my wheel touched the line of the figure eight at some point. Huyen told me this with a big smile since apparently she scored a perfect 150 when she took the test.